Preventing Jock Itch Among Wrestlers, MMA Athletes

Jock itch, gym itch, athlete’s itch are the common names given to itchy red rashes in the groin area, thighs and adjacent skin, including the testicles in males. The medical name for these rashes is " tinea cruris." Jock itch develops through sweating, and rubbing when apparel, or gym clothes seal in moisture and heat. The resulting rashes are limited to the groin, they can appear in any areas of the body’s skin that overlap, including around the rectum and in the skin folds of obese individuals. Jock itch affects mostly men and occasionally women.

Wrestlers and MMA combat athletes are at high risk for developing these bacterial and fungal rashes for the following reasons: